A 26-year-old used-car employee was arrested yesterday after police said he accessed the company's computer system, deleted the records of a pickup truck and stole the vehicle.

The Nanakuli man was booked at 2 p.m. yesterday on suspicion of auto theft and computer fraud. He was released without charges pending further investigation.

On June 1, police said, an employee at a downtown car dealership logged into the company's computer system without authorization. Police said the man, a lot technician or "lot boy," changed the status of a 1999 Dodge pickup to "sold," then deleted the vehicle from the files.

Later that night, the truck was driven off the lot, police said.

Because the computer system requires fingerprint identification to log in, company officials were able to identify the person who tampered with the records.

Several witnesses told police that the suspect said he planned to take the truck; another person said he saw the suspect driving the truck away on the night that it went missing.

Police contacted the man and he turned himself in yesterday.

Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.